Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-20
UNDER ETHER.
A Patient Describes the Sensation
Experienced.

A representative of the HERALD yes
terday met a gentleman who had been
seriously injured some time since and
during his treatment had been
given ether. His description of
his ceilings was as follows !:
The doctor got out his ether appa-
ratus, and soon compounded smell
ike photographers shop in olden
eye l could see the surgeon, who had
taken off his coat and pulled some
guards over his wrists and arms, ar
ranging his weapons in Il neat row on
the dressing-table. When the doctor
had got his machine ready he placed
it over my nose and mouth, with in
structions to breathe deeply two
or three times. The apparatus
used for giving ether consists
of box in which the com
pound is placed, and an oval
india rubber mask, very plant and
flexible, projecting from it, with tap
which allows communication between
the two parts to be cut off or estab-
lshed at will. The mask part was
placed over my face, and 1 inhaled
deeply once or twice with the only re-
suit that | was seized with choking
cough, which, however, was soon fol-
lowed by pleasant and restful sensa-
ton. | felt as if were gently doing
off on warm summers day, so L
closed my eyes and placed my arms
down my sides that they might
not interfere with my breathing
The doctor bent over me and raised
an eyelid, but | was wide enough
awake to say: "Not yet, DOCTOR" L
was rapidly going, though, and felt l
was beginning to lose consciousness.
The light seemed gently to fade away,
giving place to darkness that was not
awful or horrible, but soft and restful.
There was no giddiness or singing in
the ears, but silence and darkness
settled down over me, and then a red
veil seemed to come from between my
eyes and to float away into the in
creasing gloom, gradually diminishing
to a red spot, the only speck of light
left. Slowly this faded away, and
sight, hearing, volition and every
ScuSc Will IL. udu u ulul COuoClOub-
ness of existence, but my very life
seemed far away, buried under mas
ses of soft darkness. l do not know
whether l spoke, but my brain was a
blank and not a thought crossed my
mind. All was numb, dead and still,
the silence of the grave, but with a
faint, indefnable consciousness some
where that this was not death, but
only the suspension of life. Darkness
was all around; not a darkness that
might be felt, but one that filled
everything, covered everything and
blotted out everything with black,
impalpable and prevailing presence.
Gradually and softly as it went the
light came back again, with no startled
wonders as to where / was, for almost
before l could shape a tho,ght / in
stinctively remembered my position
and knew that the operation as over.
The figures in the room grew distinct
andNclear. / half rose up in bed, and
then a horrible feeling OF nausea and
pain rushed upon me. l had lain
down strong and we'll. l woke up
weak and throbbing with pain under
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as had believed could only be pro-
duced in Alderney Race on board a
cattleboat.
"Splendid," cried the surgeon,
cheerfully, "all over, first rate ~ and
he turned down his shirt sleeves after
tossing away the towel with which he
had dried his hands. My first thought
was to ask the time. Not much more
than quarter of an hour over it, :"
was the reply. 81 dare say you'll go
to sleep now; goodbye" During my
trance they had cut me and carved
me, sewn me up and bandaged me
without my even knowing that l had
been touched, but l could hardly
feel grateful for the anasthetic,
for the nausea it produced
was intense. My mouth, throat
and lungs felt coated with ether and
dried with smoke and l could well
imagine what the mouth of photog-
rapher's boy would be like after a pro-
longed debauch on brown paper cigars
soaked in collodion. Still the ether
had saved me from much suffering
and, what was of more importance,
had prevented the skill of the operator
being balked by any fiinching. Every
thing had been done swiftly, skillfully
and with no fear of the patient winc-
ing or moving. The knife is sure and
sharp nowadays, and does not bungle.